The Bishop's Pawn

In March 1839, "Bishop-in-Waiting" John Strachan, delivers a fiery sermon that has unexpected consequences-including the very brutal and public murder of a suspected "sodomite." Church politics and the ongoing political debate following the arrival of Lord Durham's Report complicate the investigation started by Constable Cobb and Marc Edwards. A culprit is, soon found, but Marc suspects he was a hired assassin and that someone higher up in society is pulling the strings. A number of gentlemen, including members of the clergy, appear to have motive .The trail eventually leads Marc to New York (via the Erie Canal), where the victim's sordid past requires his attention. There he is surprised to meet two women whom he thought never to see again. Meanwhile Cobb continues to investigate on his own, boldly confronting members of the Family Compact, with mixed results. Finally, with the help of the two women and that of the victim's ward, Marc finally unearths the horrifying and unexpected truth. He returns to Toronto in time to meet his newborn child and resolve the case.